Bernardino Gagliardi, who was born in Città di Castello, studied under Avanzino Nucci.  He then trained in Rome and established himself as an artist there.  he returned to his native city during disturbances in Rome between pro-French and pro-Spanish factions, although he subsequently returned to work there in a numbe of occasions.  He was elected President of the Accademia di San Luca there in 1654 [and was knighted by Pope Urban VII during his 13-day papacy in 1590 ?] 

Città di Castello  

Works in Santa Maria delle Grazie 

Trinity (1639) 

Scenes from the Life of the Virgin (1641-3)

The frescoes in the lunettes high up on the walls of the oratory off the left wall in Santa Maria delle Grazie, which are attributed to Bernardino Gagliardi, were damaged in the earthquake of 1789 and only partially restored.  The one illustrated here depicts the Birth of the Virgin.

Works in the Duomo  

The following works (17th century) by or attributed to Bernardino Gagliardi survive in the Duomo: 

Cappella di Santa Maria del Soccorso

Bernardino Gagliardi decorated this chapel (the 3rd on the left) in 1641 for the Eleosari family and the Confraternita di San Giovanni Decolleto.  The programme comprised: 

1. 

   ✴the altarpiece known as the Madonna del Soccorso (signed by the artist and dated by inscription), in which the Virgin calms a mad woman who is trying to injure her child; and 
   

1. ✴the frescoes of the chapel walls, which depict:
   

2. •Samson fighting a lion, on the left; 
   

3. •Tobias and the angel, on the right; 
   

1. ✴the frescoes of the vault, which depict:
   

2. •the sacrifice of Isaac;
   

3. •the Assumption of the Virgin; and 
   

4. •David calming King Saul; and 
   

1. ✴frescoes of saints in tondi in the sides of the entrance arch:  
   

2. •SS Brictius and Ventura on the left; and
   

3. •SS Albert and Donninus on the right. 
   

Cappella dell' Angelo Custode 

The following works in this chapel are attributed to Bernardino Gagliardi:

1. ✴the panel in the lunette above the altarpiece, which depicts God the Father and an angel; 
   

2. ✴the panel on the left wall, which depicts St Michael chaining the Devil; and 
   

3. ✴the panel on the right wall, which depicts St Michael and Tobias.
   

Cappella di San Crescenziano

Raising of the Cross (17th century)

[Works in Santa Maria di Combarbio and the Oratorio della Confraternita di Santa Caterina] 

Bevagna 

Scenes from the life of St Francis (1655)

These frescoes in the cloister of San Francesco, which were signed by Bernardino Gagliardi, and dated by inscription, no longer survive.

Perugia 

Bernardino Gagliardi became a citizen of Perugia in 1638 and established a workshop there.  He died in the city in 1660 and was buried in San Domenico.  

Frescoes in San Filippo Neri (1649)

                                     St Simeon waits for the Virgin                   St Simeon gives thanks

These frescoes are in the Cappella della Purificazione of San Filippo Neri depict:

1. ✴in the vaults:
   

2. •the Holy Spirit, represented by a dove;
   

3. •Moses with the Law of God; and
   

4. •David playing the harp; and
   

5. ✴on the walls (illustrated here), two scenes that complement the theme of the original altarpiece (1651) of the Purification of the Virgin by Andrea Sacchi:
   

6. •St Simeon waits for the Virgin at the Temple; and
   

7. •St Simeon gives thanks after the service.
   

Scenes from the Life of St Philip (1656)

Bernardino Gagliardi painted the three panels that conclude a series of Scenes from Lives of Christ and SS Philip & James on the walls of the Oratorio di Sant’ Agostino.

SS Augustine and Dominic (1657) 

St Helen and the Holy Cross (17th century) 

Trevi [and Spoleto]

Scenes from the life of St Francis (1645) 

These frescoes in the lunettes around the central cloister of the San Francesco are by Bernardino Gagliardi.  Inscriptions below commemorate the noble families that paid for them.  Some of the scenes have disappeared, others were repainted in the 18th century, and some were restored in 2001.

Circumcision of Jesus (17th century)